"Simply Mind-Blowing!"

Kingdom Hearts is one of the most stunning games I have ever played. I, like many, were skeptical at first when the whole Disney/Square collaboration was announced. As I continued to see screen shots, my mouth started to water a little more at a time. Now, the time is here, and it was worth it! Kingdom Hearts is quite possibly one of the best games EVER!

You are Sora, a 14-year-old boy, who after having these wild dreams, get sucked into a wormhole and find yourself in a strange new world, with your friends Kairi and Riku missing. You are then joined by Donald Duck and Goofy, who have branded you the chosen one to help them find King Mickey, and your adventure truly begins...

Graphics 10/10. In my opinion, better than Final Fantasy X, and that was hard to beat. These visuals are absolutely stunning. Check out the opening CG! It will blow your mind!

Controls 8/10. I love this, but it's the only flaw at the same time. The way the controls are mapped, the game feels like a hack-and-slash like the Legend of Zelda!! Not only are there baddies roaming around, you can destroy chairs, barrels, crates, etc...with your sword! The main drawbacks are the camera angles, and having to use the analog stick. Sometimes, the camera angles they give you are just downright screwy. Most often scenario, I need a third person view, and I get stuck with a profle view. I've never been a fan of analog sticks (That's why I hated the N64, but that's irrelevant), however, it doesn't take long to get used to it, so that's why Kingdom Hearts isn't getting seriously dinged for it.

Sound 9/10. The sounds are very ambient to your surroundings. The flaw here, in my opinion, is some of the ''actors'' (and with some, I use that term loosely) picked to voice the characters. First off, I'm not a big fan of Haley Joel Osment, but here he actually does a teriffic job as Sora. David Boreanaz sounds brooding and almost sinister as Squall. The thing I have the biggest problem with is Lance Bass of N*Sync voicing Sephiroth. Sephiroth is one of the baddest villians of all time, and he's being voiced by someone from a crappy pop boy band! My guess was...that must have been Disney's idea.

Characters 10+/10. This is where it blows your mind. There are sooooooo many Disney characters in this game, half the fun is meeting them all. Also, many Final Fantasy favorites are back, including Cloud, Sephiroth, Squall, Tidus, Wakka, Yuffie, and Aeris (The Fanboys are crying tears of joy for her!! Just kidding!! ;)) When playing this, definitely check out Wonderland! Some of things there will make you feel like you're Lewis Carroll tripping on opium. (For those of you who don't know, Lewis Carroll was the one who originally wrote the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, before Disney made it into a movie in 1952. Mr. Carroll was in fact high on opium when he wrote it.) Jiminy Cricket will even chronicle your quest! Look for em all, it's fun and nostalgic.

Fun 10/10. This game is a blast! Once you get used to the controls, the game gets that much better. This game reminds me of Zelda sooo much! Pure hack and slash glory, with a dash of RPG element thrown in. Why classify it that way? Because the game flows in real time, and is not turn-based like so many other RPGs, so I see it as more like the Legend of Zelda than Final Fantasy.

In conclusion, shut your mouth, turn off your computer, get in the car, and buy it already!!! This game should win Game of the Year hands-down (but will have loads of competition for that distinction from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City). A fun game with a great story and killer visals, Kingdom Hearts should not be passed up! You will not be sorry!